Basketball Notebook

In just a couple of games, Crestwood sophomore center Maddie Ritsick has gone from a role player, who averaged 6.4 points per game last season, to a category leader and one of the best players in Wyoming Valley Conference girls basketball.

Ritsick's hot hand and cool-under-pressure attitude on the foul line on Monday night against Pittston Area was key in a 50-47 win. But her efforts were no fluke.

Ritsick hit 13 of 13 attempts from the foul line and finished with a game-high 23 points to lead the Comets. In Crestwood's next game, against Hazleton Area on Thursday, Ritsick connected on nine of 11 shots from the line and scored 27 points in the Comets' first loss of the regular season.

Ritsick currently leads the conference in free throw percentage (81.3). She is fifth in scoring with 18.9 ppg and tied for ninth in 3-pointers with 16.

Soaring Hawkeyes

After several years of being a mediocre team, Hanover Area is enjoying the top of the standings in Division III.

The Hawkeyes, under the direction of second-year coach Vic Kopko, have adjusted to his philosophies and game-plans - and they have a 5-0 record to prove it.

Asdone Hooper, a sophomore guard, is currently the team's leading scorer with 16.5 ppg. She scored a career-high 26 points on Thursday in a win over MMI Prep. Haylee Bobos, a sophomore forward, follows with 15.8 ppg.

Hanover will face a big test on Monday, when it hosts Nanticoke Area in a Division II-III crossover game.

Super sisters

They look alike, play alike and their similar names can drive a coach batty, but twin sisters Quieterriua and Quinniea Gross have established themselves as individual talents in the WVC this season.

The Meyers senior forwards are the perfect one-two punch. Quieterriua leads the 4-1 Mohawks with 18.4 ppg, which is sixth best in the WVC. Quinniea, meanwhile, is 17th with 11.7 ppg.

Quieterriua is also solid from the charity stripe as she ranks seventh this week in free throws at 70.3 percent.

Little bump in the road

Pittston Area was cruising along rather nicely before last week's games and got bumped off track with back-to-back losses to Crestwood and Wyoming Valley West.

But PA coach Kathy Healy isn't too concerned and has a simple way of explaining the process of the lengthy basketball season.

"The way I see it, our season is like a marathon and you just take each mile as it comes," Healy said after the Crestwood loss last Monday. "Some miles can be harder than others, but we have a lot more to go, so I know we will have our ups and downs. We just to adjust and keep going."

The Patriots will look to regroup for a win when they host Coughlin on Monday.

The week ahead

On paper, Hanover Area has the toughest schedule of the week as the Hawkeyes host Nanticoke on Monday and then travel to undefeated Holy Redeemer on Thursday night in another crossover game.

GAR, which has posted narrow losses in its last two games, is likely hungry for a win and will travel to Lake-Lehman on Monday. The Black Knights are licking their wounds from a 40-17 exhibition loss to Marian Catholic on Friday.

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